Top 25 Songs of 2011

Although I felt the year was a little weak on the album side, there was an enormous number of great songs in 2011. In short order, I came up with about 50 candidates for song of the year. From there, I shrunk the list to 37. So, I have 12 songs, in no particular order, I'm placing in an honorable mention category at the bottom of my top 25. As usual, I didn't allow for artists to have more than one slot. It is, after all, an awfully short list. On with the countdown...

25. "Fly Baby, Fly"

The High Llamas
from 'Talahomi Way'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Sean O'Hagan is a genius, and I think his previous two albums were among his best in a long and impressive career. This one doesn't quite live up to that standard, but it was still exciting to get something new from a band that we only hear from every few years.

24. "Need You Now"

Cut Copy
from 'Zonoscope'
(Buy)
(Video)


This Aussie electropop outfit has been around for years, but this was the first song I heard that really hypnotized me. Do I sense a little bit of OMD's 'Dazzle Ships' here?

23. "Through the Floor"

Crystal Stilts
from 'In Love With Oblivion'
(Buy)
(Video)


"Shake the Shackles" is the best song on this album, but it was an earlier single that made my list last year. You have to hand it to Slumberland Records. They have a great ear for talent.

22. "Under Cover of Darkness"

The Strokes
from 'Angles'
(Buy)
(Video)


No, they didn't make the album we all hoped for, but the fellas did show they could still create a catchy song.

21. "I Might"

Wilco
from 'The Whole Love'
(Buy)



Some of you may not agree, but see No. 20.

20. "Ffunny Ffriends"

Unknown Mortal Orchestra
from 'Unknown Mortal Orchestra'
(Buy)
(mp3)


I know almost nothing about this band, but I would almost swear this auspicious debut is part of the lo-fi Elephant 6 collective. Nice find by the Fat Possum label.

19. "Stay Useless"

Cloud Nothings
from 'Attack on Memory'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Dylan Baldi is just a kid, but he's already got two well-received albums under his belt and a third one on the way next month. This first song from it is just sick. What did you do when you were a teen?

18. "Midnight City"

M83
from "Hurry Up, We're Dreaming"
(Buy)
(Video)


Frenchman Anthony Gonzalez has an unlikely hit on his hands. I could have done without this song being featured on a Victoria's Secret commercial. Don't you just hate when your channel surfing and a song you like shows up in an ad?

17. "Maracas"

Mates of State
from 'Mountaintops'
(Buy)
(mp3)


I'm late to the party that is Mates of State, but I'm making up for lost time. The husband-and-wife team makes my list for the second consecutive year, and it was a very tough call between this song and "Palomino."

16. "Should Be Gone"

The Feelies
from 'Here Before'
(Buy)
(mp3)


You would never know the post-punk band went 20 years between records. It's tough to say there is a standout song, but 'Here Before' is a true contender for the best album of 2011.

15. "Light Blue Afternoon"

Robyn Hitchcock
from 'Tromsø, Kaptein'
(Buy)



Hitchcock's love for Norway is well documented, but he took it a step further by releasing this album on a little-known Norwegian label. I went the extra mile and ordered the physical CD from across the pond. In hindsight, I would have just downloaded this song and the other gem, "Dismal City."

14. "Another Country"

Big Country
from "Another Country" single
(Buy)
(Video)


My favorite band from my youth reunites without the late Stuart Adamson and returns to the sound that made them famous nearly 30 years ago. I never would have believed the addition of the Alarm's Mike Peters would work, but it has. I can't wait for the full-length album in 2012.

13. "Simpletons"

The Bats
from 'Free All the Monsters'
(Buy)
(mp3)


I have never owned an album by the Bats, but I took the time to listen to this song a few months ago because Robert Scott from the Clean is on the roster, and I have a soft spot for that New Zealand band. I quickly realized I have quite a bit of catching up to do.

12. "Checkout Time"

Nick Lowe
from 'The Old Magic'
'(Buy)



I have been a Lowe fan all of my life. Well, not when I was three. This song (and the entire album) continues a nearly flawless streak that began with 'The Impossible Bird' nearly 20 years ago.

11. "Love Is Found"

Sade
from 'The Ultimate Collection'
(Buy)
(Video)


When I'm president of the entire music industry, I'll have one rule. No new songs on best-of packages. Still, this one is way sexy.

10. "Up on the North Shore"

The Sea and Cake
from 'The Moonlight Butterfly'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Like the Sea and Cake of yesteryear, this is one is pure lounge. I can't tell you how many times I have ended my day to the elegant 'Moonlight Butterfly.'

9. "Sad Song"

The Cars
from 'Move Like This'
(Buy)
(Video)


What an unlikely reunion and pure old-school... right down to the hand claps. Much of the album sounds like a followup to to the classic 'Heartbeat City.' This was the lone single.

8. "Hide Your Colors"

The Jayhawks
from 'Mockingbird Time'
(Buy)



Any song from the first half of this record could have made this list, but I went with the one with the most lush orchestration. Beautiful. It's great to hear Gary Louris and Mark Olson together again.

7. "Honey Bunny"

Girls
from 'Father, Son Holy Ghost'
(Buy)
(mp3)


I seem to be in the minority that their first album was better, but there were still plenty of bright spots, and this piece of pop was the brightest.


6. "Whirring"

The Joy Formidable
from 'The Big Roar'
(Buy)
(Video)


Those with their ear to the ground know this song has been around since 2009, but it was re-released on 'The Big Roar,' this year's best debut album. It was so good that the Welsh trio got a major-label deal. Let's hope that's not the death knell. Appearing on the latest 'Twilight' soundtrack didn't help me with my uneasy feeling.

5. "Picture Sleeve"

The dB's
from the "Picture Sleeve" single
(Buy)

Back in the spring, this single was a 7" Record Store Day exclusive, and I snatched it up first thing that morning. It's great to hear the jangle-pop pioneers back together again. There will be a full-length album, 'Falling Off the Sky,' in 2012. Can't wait.

4. "Bad Feeling"

Veronica Falls
from 'Veronica Falls'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Yet another appearance by a band from the Slumberland stable. Throughout 2010, due to a couple of stellar singles, there was quite a blogosphere build up for the full-length debut. We were rewarded with some of the best boy-girl harmonies on the indie scene.

3. "Romance"

Wild Flag
from 'Wild Flag'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Carrie Brownstein of Sleater-Kinney fame is not fooling around with her new band. These gals are just about the hardest group you'll find on this list.


2. "My Mistakes"

Eleanor Friedberger
from 'Last Summer'
(Buy)
(mp3)


I hated the Fiery Furnaces so much that I'm not even sure how one half of that duo got a chance to be heard by me, but it was a happy accident, to be sure. No, I won't give Fiery Furnaces another chance, but I will look forward to future releases from this gal.

1. "Woods"

The Rosebuds
from 'Loud Planes Fly Low'
(Buy)
(mp3)


Six months ago I said this was the best song I had heard in 2011. I haven't budged on this point. We all wondered how divorce would change the duo. They definately got things sorted out on the professional level.

Honorable Mentions
"The World (Is Going Up in Flames)" by Charles Bradley
"Screws Get Loose" by Those Darlins
"Booty City" by Black Joe Lewis and the Honeybears
"New Beat" by Toro Y Moi
"The Afterlife" by Paul Simon
"Modern Art" by Black Lips
"Get a Grip" by Spectrals
"Eve" by Reigning Sound
"If Not I'll Just Die" by Lambchop
"Already in Love" by Exene Cervenka
"Arrow-Pierced-Egg-Man" by Mike Watt
"Tigers" by Stephen Malkmus and the Jicks

Cover Me Impressed: 'Christmas Wish'

This really is a Christmas gift. Thanks to She & Him once again covering NRBQ, I get to talk up one of my favorite classic albums of the season, 'Christmas Wish (Deluxe Edition).' This 2007 CD collects all of the band's holiday tunes from the 1986 'Christmas Wish: Mini-LP' from Rounder Records, as well as several live renditions of classics with that NRBQ touch. NRBQ actually recorded the song "Christmas Wish" way back in 1979, and I posted the song (along with another '79 recording, "Jolly Old St. Nicholas") a couple of years ago, but since this post is all about the "Christmas Wish" song, I'm including a couple of other versions of the tune from the deluxe edition.

As for the brand-new 'A Very She & Him Christmas,' the reviews have been lukewarm at best. Remember back in October when I wrote about the recent spate of Zooey bashing, particularly from the indie-hipster community that once embraced her? Well, that seems to have been turned up a notch. Here is the album review from Pitchfork, as well as a semi-humorous take on the record from the usually reliable and entertaining Popdose crew. The consensus seems to be that the "act" is getting old and that the duo seems "posed." If that's the case, I guess I'm a lemming 'cause I'm still buying the act... hook, line and sinker. As a fan of classics like the Ella Fitzgerald, Phil Spector and Beach Boys Christmas albums, it's been years since I have been this excited about a new holiday record, and "Christmas Wish" is the best new song from these "posers."

NRBQ - Christmas Wish (mp3)
NRBQ - Christmas Wish (Reprise) (mp3)
NRBQ - Christmas Wish (Instrumental) (mp3)
She & Him - Christmas Wish (mp3)

More Cover Me Impressed:
"I Don't Like Mondays"
"Half a Boy and Half a Man"
"Money Changes Everything"/"The Right Stuff"
"I Put a Spell on You"
"Johnny, Are You Queer?"
"Superman"
"Voices"
"Almost Saturday Night"
"Too Many Teardrops"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"

Cover Me Impressed: 'I Don't Like Mondays'

I just completed a less-than-stellar day. This one seems appropriate.

Bob Geldof's punk outfit the Boomtown Rats had a minor hit (No. 73) here in America with "I Don't Like Mondays" back in 1979. Through the years, I feel like this song has gained quite a bit more momentum than this weak charting suggests. First of all, it was a No.-1 smash in the UK, but Geldof's increased stature in the music community, as well as its appearance on numerous new-wave compilations and one-hit wonder lists, could have had something to do with it. Perhaps the best-known cover of the song, unfortunately, is by Bon Jovi, but I really like what Ron Sexsmith did with it. He's pretty true to the original, but it's done in that understated Sexsmith way. You can find the song on his 2003 import album 'Rarities.' The original can be found on the Boomtown Rats' 1980 album 'The Fine Art of Surfacing.' Both are worth spending a few bucks.

As for the origins of the song itself, Geldof tells quite a tale. He wrote it right after 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer went on a shooting spree at a playground in San Diego that killed two adults and injured eight children and one police officer. When a reporter asked "tell me why," Spencer said, without an ounce of remorse, "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day." OK, maybe my Monday wasn't so bad after all.

The Boomtown Rats - I Don't Like Mondays (mp3)
Ron Sexsmith - I Don't Like Mondays (mp3)

More Cover Me Impressed:
"Half a Boy and Half a Man"
"Money Changes Everything"/"The Right Stuff"
"I Put a Spell on You"
"Johnny, Are You Queer?"
"Superman"
"Voices"
"Almost Saturday Night"
"Too Many Teardrops"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"

New Music From 'The Modfather'

You have to hand it to Paul Weller. Although I loved the Jam, liked the Style Council a little bit less and have only been somewhat interested in most of his solo work, Weller has released some of his best work in just the past couple of albums.

'Wake Up the Nation' was a Mercury Prize nominee last year, and I liked its predecessor, '22 Dreams,' even more. So, for the first time in ages, I'm actually looking forward to an upcoming release from Weller.

"Around the Lake" is the first song from the new album, 'Sonik Kicks,' out March 27 on Yep Roc. You can stream the single below. Likey? You can already download it on iTunes. That this 53 year old is producing such relevant work is nothing less than inspirational. The keyboards, in particular, are killer. Noel Gallagher and Graham Coxon are guests on this, Weller's 11th solo album. It's obvious these Britpop whippersnappers still have much to learn from "The Modfather."

Paul Weller - Around The Lake by floweringtoilet

'Sonik Kicks' Tracklist:
1. Green
2. The Attic
3. Kling I Klang
4. Sleep of the Serene
5. By the Waters
6. That Dangerous Age
7. Study in Blue
8. Dragonfly
9. When Your Garden's Overgrown
10. Around The Lake
11. Twilight
12. Drifters
13. Paperchase
14. Be Happy Children

12 Inches of Love: INXS Edition (Part 2)

More than two years ago, I posted a couple of my favorite extended versions of INXS songs with the promise that it wouldn't be the last time the band visited the blog. Other than a mention of the excellent 'Rocking the Royals' release this past spring, I more or less lied... until today. Here are a few 'Kick'-era extended mixes. As I have mentioned before, I love INXS, but 'Kick,' for me, is their last great LP. The Mendolsohn mix can be found on the second disc of the out-of-print deluxe edition of the album, and the Ben Liebrand version shows up on the UK 12" single of "Mystify," the fifth and final single from the album. The mix of "Devil Inside" appears on a few versions of the "Mystify" single, including the same UK 12" I just mentioned, as well as the UK and German CD singles. I have enough INXS remixes for a part three. So, look for that at some point. Let's take a trip to 1987, shall we?

INXS - Devil Inside (Extended Mix) (mp3)
INXS - Need You Tonight (Ben Liebrand Mix) (mp3)
INXS - Need You Tonight (Mendelsohn Extended Mix) (mp3)

Cover Me Impressed: 'Half a Boy, Half a Man'

Back in 2001, the folks at Telarc paid homage to Nick Lowe with the cleverly named tribute album 'Labour of Love.' I bought this record because, one, I love Lowe and, two, some of my favorite artists, including Elvis Costello and Marshall Crenshaw, chose inspired and obscure songs I was really curious to hear. The best of the lot, however, came from an unlikely source. An old rockabilly singer named Sleepy LaBeef (pictured) was joined by C.J. Chenier, an accordion player and son of the "King of Zydeco" Clifton Chenier, for a raucous zydeco rendition of "Half a Boy and Half a Man." This is one of Lowe's top tunes and can be found on the 1984 album 'Nick Lowe and His Cowboy Outfit.' Sadly, this one is out of print. Hopefully, Lowe's latest label, Yep Roc, will rectify the situation.

Nick Lowe - Half a Boy and Half a Man (mp3)
Sleepy LaBeef and C.J. Chenier - Half a Boy and Half a Man (mp3)



More Cover Me Impressed:
"Money Changes Everything"/"The Right Stuff"
"I Put a Spell on You"
"Johnny, Are You Queer?"
"Superman"
"Voices"
"Almost Saturday Night"
"Too Many Teardrops"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"

Free Music From the Folks at Merge

I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Merge Records kicks ass. Download their free Winter Music Sampler now! This time around, get new songs from She & Him, Lambchop, the Rosebuds and more. Here is the tracklist. These songs have been slowly trickling onto the Web, but here is your chance to get them all at once. All hail, Merge!

1. Hospitality: "Betty Wang"
2. Richard Buckner" "Traitor"
3. Lambchop – "Gone Tomorrow"
4. Crooked Fingers: "Bad Blood"
5. Superchunk: "Driveway to Driveway”
6. The Mountain Goats: "Estate Sale Sign"
7. Eleanor Friedberger: "My Mistakes"
8. Imperial Teen: "Runaway"
9. Archers of Loaf: "Harnessed In Slums"
10. Wild Flag: "Romance"
11. Stephin Merritt: "Rot in the Sun"
12. The Rosebuds: "Go Ahead"

Air Announces New Album

We have to wait until Feb. 7, but new Air is on the way. 'La Voyage Dans La Lune' (or 'A Trip To The Moon') is the first new album from the French duo since 'Love 2' in 2009. That LP didn't exactly blow me away. So, I'm hoping for a little rebound. As usual, there will be female guest vocals. Au Revoir Simone and Victoria Legrand from Beach House will make appearances.

Dec. 6 Update: NME is streaming the song done with Legrand.

Nicolas Godin, one half of Air, is using terms like "organic," "handmade" and "knocked together" to describe the new work. Sounds like we may be in for something different. With the exception of "Playground Love," my favorite Air songs have come from the mellow 'Talkie Walkie' and 'Pocket Symphony' albums, and the standouts, for me, are the ones with female leads. Here are a couple of examples, as well as the tracklist for the upcoming release. I can't wait for this one.

'Le Voyage Dans La Lune' Tracklist
1. Astronomic Club
2. Seven Stars (Victoria Legrand vocals)
3. Retour Sur Terre
4. Parade
5. Moon Fever
6. Sonic Armada
7. Who Am I Know? (Au Revoir Simone guest)
8. Décollage
9. Cosmic Trip
10. Homme Lune
11. Lava

Rememeber Record Store on Black Friday

Next Friday, obviously, is the biggest brick-and-mortar retail sales day of the year, and the folks at Record Store Day have decided to try and get you on the door with a Black Friday promotion of their own. Although not on par with the blowout Record Store Day holiday that occurs every spring, independent record store across the land will have many great exclusives available -- from Sharon Jones & the Dap-Kings, Wilco and the Rolling Stones, to name a few -- but I thought I would share my top three must-have purchases I plan to pick up between leftover turkey sandwiches.

1. Nick Lowe & His Band
"Go 'Way Hound Dog" b/w "(I've Changed My) Wild Mind"
Side one of the 7" and 10" single is a live take taken from his appearance at Chicago's Old Town School of Folk Music. Yep Roc gives us a brief sample of both songs below.



2. Brendan Benson
'Upstairs at United, Vol. 1'
The vinyl-only 12" EP (at 45RPM) has four covers recorded live on August 16th, 2011, direct to quarter-inch tape upstairs in the historic United Record Pressing party room. It comes in a custom jacket, stickered and enclosed in polybag. Here are the tracks:
Side A
1. Candidate (David Bowie)
2. Strangers (Kinks)
Side B
1. Beyond Belief (Elvis Costello)
2. Love Story (Randy Newman)

3. Crowded House
'Intriguer Live: Start To Finish'
This is a two- CD/one-DVD set chronicling the band's last tour, in support of their sixth studio album, 'Intriguer.' I was fortunate enough to see their Seattle-area stop and can vouch that they sounded great. The 50-minute DVD is a roundup of the best songs (as chosen by Neil Finn) from their first performance stop, Aukland, New Zealand on April 8, 2010. The CDs are of the final show from Denver on Sept. 9 of the same year.

Details on Spectacular Spinning Box Set

Back in September, I mentioned an impending live album from Elvis Costello but, at the time, there weren't too many specifics available. We know everything now, including how much you'll need to borrow from your local loan officer. I'm only half joking. The super-deluxe edition of 'The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!' will set you back a cool $268.22, if you get it via Amazon, and, although it is a sharp box set, I think I'll wait for the single- or double-disc (CD/DVD) releases of the May 11 and May 12, 2011 shows from the Wiltern in Los Angeles that are promised in 2012. Still, I know there are a few die-hards out there willing to go bankrupt for this rare release. So, here's the specifics.

Nov. 21 Update: Even Costello himself finds the price ridiclous!

First, the music: There is a CD, DVD and a cool piece of 10" vinyl. The vinyl has four songs on it that won't be found on future releases of this live show. There are only going to be 1,500 copies of this autographed set available, and each box will be individually numbered. Inside, you'll find a 40-page hardcover book, a 20" x 30" poster and limited-edition postcard. The box itself has a smaller version of the spinning wheel used on tour to pick that night's setlist. Speaking of lists, here is the track-by-track breakdown. 'The Return Of The Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!' will be out Dec. 6 (not Nov. 21, as previously published).

Elvis Costelloand the Imposters
'The Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!'
CD
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Heart of the City (Nick Lowe)
3. Mystery Dance
4. Radio Radio
5. Everyday I Write The Book
6. God Give Me Strength
7. Watching The Detectives
8. Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) (featuring Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles)
9. Out Of Time (The Rolling Stones)
10. I Want You
11. Stella Hurt
12. All Grown Up
13. Lipstick Vogue
14. “Man Out of Time
15. National Ransom
16. (What's So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

DVD
1. I Hope You're Happy Now
2. Heart Of The City (Nick Lowe)
3. Mystery Dance
4. Radio Radio
5. Clubland
6. God Give Me Strength
7. Tear Off Your Own Head (It's A Doll Revolution) (featuring Susanna Hoffs of the Bangles)
8. Out Of Time (The Rolling Stones)
9. I Want You
10. Everyday I Write The Book
11. Stella Hurt
12. A Slow Drag With Josephine
13. Jimmie Standing In The Rain
14. Alison
15. Earthbound
16. (Whats So Funny 'bout) Peace, Love And Understanding
Bonus Tracks
17. Uncomplicated
18. Watching The Detectives
19. Monkey To Man

10-INCH VINYL
Side A:
1. Pump it Up (6/8)
2. Busted (Harlan Howard)
Side B:
1. Brilliant Mistake
2. Strict Time

Big Country: New DVD, Deluxe Edition Update

Well, now we know if there will be any previously unreleased material on the deluxe edition of Big Country's 'The Crossing,' out Jan. 30, and the news is good. There are 10 songs on the second disc that most of us die-hard fans don't own. You can already preorder it on the UK version of Amazon.

Disc 1: The Original Album
1. In A Big Country (Original Album - Universal Master)
2. Inwards
3. Chance
4. 1000 Stars
5. The Storm
6. Harvest Home
7. Lost Patrol
8. Close Action
9. Fields Of Fire
10. Porrohman
B-Sides
11. Balcony (B-side to Harvest Home)
12. Flag Of Nation(Swimming) (B-side to Harvest Home)
13. Angle Park (B-side to Fields Of Fire)
14. All Of Us (B-side to In A Big Country)
15. Heart And Soul (B-side to In A Big Country)
16. The Crossing (B-side to Chance)
17. Tracks of My Tears (Live) (B-side to Chance)

Disc 2: Demos
1. Angle Park (Stuart/Bruce 4 Track Demos 1981*)
2. Harvest Home (Stuart/Bruce 4 Track Demos 1981*)
3. We Could Laugh (Stuart/Bruce 4 Track Demos 1981*)
4. In A Big Country (Demo) (Rarities IV)
5. The Storm (Demo) (Rarities IV)
6. Big City (Demo) (Rarities IV)
7. Fields of Fire (Riverside BBC TV*)
8. Lost Patrol (Demo) (Phonogram Studios*)
9. Inwards (Demo) (Phonogram Studios*)
10. Thousand Stars (Chris Thomas*)
11. Close Action (Chris Thomas*)
12. Lost Patrol (Chris Thomas*)
13. Inwards (Chris Thomas*)
14. Fields of Fire (Demo) (Rarities IV)
15. Ring Out (Demo) (Rarities IV)
16. Thousand Stars (Demo) (Rarities IV)
17. Chance (Demo) (Rarities IV)

* previously unreleased

I'm not going to write about the awesome tour the band is doing to support this reissue. I have already done that. You should know, however, if you aren't one of the lucky ones to have seen Big Country since Mike Peters took over for the deceased Stuart Adamson, you can now buy a DVD/CD box set of the band's April 21, 2011 show in Edinburgh called 'Dreams Stay With You.' Here's "In a Big Country" from that concert. Did I mention I'm loving all of this Big Country news?

Macca Teams Up With MacManus: Part II

I posted most of the best stuff from 'The McCartney/MacManus Collaboration' yesterday, but there are a couple of other songs on the bootleg that may interest you. On March 23, 1995, Paul McCartney hosted a benefit at the Royal College of Music. This show would mark the first time McCartney would perform live with Elvis Costello. They performed "Mistress and Maid," one of the demos they worked on together several years earlier, as well as "One After 909," a song you may know from some other band McCartney was in back in the '60s. You can find this rare performance below.

I'm also including another demo of the Costello/McCartney-penned tune "Veronica." This version sounds a little more finished than the one I posted yesterday. Through the years, Costello has performed many of the McCartney/MacManus songs live, but one that I have not heard him do much is "You Want Her Too." If you enjoyed the demo of this song yesterday, I think you'll like this rare solo take from the stage.

Finally, here is about a minute of Costello cracking up during a rehearsal of "My Brave Face." I wish he could have held it together, as I love the speed and tightness he had going on this one. I seem to recall seeing this footage on a making of 'Flowers in the Dirt" video. On the tape, McCartney was talking about what a great team these two were... one that reminded him of another musician he used to work with back in the day. With this boot, the evidence is clear. McCartney and MacManus made a dynamic duo. I hope they work together again.

Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello
'The McCartney/MacManus Collaboration'
9. Veronica (mp3)
10. One After 909 (live) (mp3)
11. Mistress and Maid (live) (mp3)
13. You Want Her Too (live) (mp3)
15. My Brave Face (mp3)

500th Post: Macca Teams Up With MacManus

I know. I know. Five hundred blog posts. Big deal. Well, it is to me. Maybe it will be to you when you see what I'm posting to celebrate this small achievement. Back in the day, my favorite record store was this little hole in the wall in New York called Midnight Records. When I lived in Washington, D.C., in the '90s, I used to make trips up there for hard-to-find Brian Wilson bootlegs, and this store always had them. The brick-and-mortar version of this place has long since closed, but they still have a thriving online business. I digress. Today and tomorrow I'm sharing my favorite bootleg I ever found there.

In the fall of 1987, Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello were meeting at McCartney's office in Soho to write and record demos together. The goal was to assemble songs for McCartney's upcoming album, 'Flowers in the Dirt.' By most accounts, they recorded nine or 10 songs there, as well as writing or finishing (at least on paper) several more. During the next nine years, the results of this collaboration (and others) would show up on their records, including McCartney's 'Flowers in the Dirt' and 'Off the Ground,' as well as Costello's 'Spike,' 'Mighty Like a Rose' and 'All This Useless Beauty.' Some of these songs, such as "My Brave Face," "Veronica," "So Like Candy" and "Shallow Grave" were, in my opinion, huge successes. Other songs weren't as likable when transitioned from demo to finished product. Usually, this was because of slick overproduction, particularly the ones that appeared on McCartney's albums.

Truth be told, I'll take these demos over the official studio versions any day. I love the intimacy and simplicity of it all. It's like having the Everly Brothers in your living room. I hope you enjoy them, too. I'll have a few more nuggets from this one tomorrow. Like the 500 home-run mark in baseball, 500 blog posts doesn't mean as much as it used to, but I'm still proud, and I promise you I never took the juice.

Paul McCartney and Elvis Costello
'The McCartney/MacManus Collaboration'
1. The Lovers That Never Were (mp3)
2. Twenty-Five Fingers (mp3)
3. Tommy's Coming Home (mp3)
4. So Like Candy (mp3)
5. You Want Her Too (mp3)
6. Playboy to a Man (mp3)
7. Don't Be Careless Love (mp3)
8. My Brave Face (mp3)

Cover Me Impressed: 'Money Changes Everything'/'The Right Stuff'

Here's another cover that, in some camps, doesn't really qualify. "Money Changes Everything" began as a Johnny Marr-penned instrumental that appeared as a B-side on the Smiths' 1986 single "Bigmouth Strikes Again." A year later, Marr and Bryan Ferry "finished" the song for Ferry's album, 'Bête Noire.' That included lyrics, a new name ("The Right Stuff") and enough production touches to make Jeff Lynne blush. Perhaps the Smiths should have kept this one for themselves. The Ferry version managed to crack the UK's Top 40 and, in my opinion, is among his best post-Roxy Music singles. Enjoy the pops and cracks of these two songs straight from their vinyl rips.

The Smiths - Money Changes Everything (mp3)
Bryan Ferry - The Right Stuff (mp3)

More Cover Me Impressed:
"I Put a Spell on You"
"Johnny, Are You Queer?"
"Superman"
"Voices"
"Almost Saturday Night"
"Too Many Teardrops"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"

Reissue Is Real: Classic From Louvin Brothers

If you're a fan of the country harmonies of Charlie and Ira, Tuesday is a big day. Their iconic 1959 album 'Satan Is Real' receives the remaster treatment, along with an unusual second disc called 'Handpicked Songs 1955-62.' Artists and fans of the Louvins, such as Beck, Emmylou Harris, Zooey Deschanel and M. Ward, each picked a favorite song that comprises the 14-track bonus compilation. Also included on this set is an interview with Charlie. In case you didn't hear, he died in January, outliving Ira by 46 years. Now, obviously, I think the music is great, but, as you can see, this might be the greatest cover ever. The duo designed this themselves, building the 16-foot Satan from plywood. The location was an old rock quarry, and the fires were burning tires. Preorder now. Here's a Carter Family-penned tune that can be found on 'Satan Is Real.'

The Louvin Brothers - The Kneeling Drunkard's Plea (mp3)

Zooey's Changing Relationship Status

Every male indie hipster on the planet just gasped. Zooey Deschanel is back on the market. Another rock-and-roll marriage appears to be, well, on the rocks. Now that I think about it, perhaps not every indie hipster cares. I have been noticing a little Zooey backlash lately.

I don't know if this is because of the not-so-indie move of starring on broadcast television or Pitchfork's pan of the new She & Him Christmas album or what, but the recent criticism I least understand is that she sucked as the singer of the "National Anthem" at Game 4 of the World Series. A quick search commonly finds words like "dreadful" and "boring" to describe Deschanel's rendition. What? She sounded great and sang it with the correct delivery. If you watch a lot of sports, you know this song gets butchered all of the time. She didn't try to turn it into an R&B hit, and Deschanel actually got the lyrics correct. Amazing. Criticize if you must, but don't start here. Now, how about laying off the newest and most eligible bachelorette? OK, fellas, better go straighten those skinny ties and work on your witty banter.

Cover Me Impressed: 'I Put a Spell on You'

I'm always amazed the late Screamin' Jay Hawkins' biggest moment on wax, 'I Put a Spell on You,' dates all the way back to 1956. If, by chance, a white-bread kid with a crewcut got a hold of this one when it came out, he must have been shakin' in his penny loafers. The cover from She & Him I'm including here can be found on a hard-to-find 2009 compilation Starbucks put out for Valentine's Day called 'Sweetheart: Our Favorite Artists Sing Their Favorite Love Songs.' You can also get it from Merge as a digital download b/w a radio-session version of the duo's song 'Lingering Still.' M. Ward and Zooey Deschanel have a much jazzier take than Hawkins' wild original, but I think you will enjoy both. Happy Halloween! Stay safe!

Screamin' Jay Hawkins - I Put a Spell on You (mp3)
She & Him - I Put a Spell on You (mp3)

More Cover Me Impressed:
"Johnny, Are You Queer?"
"Superman"
"Voices"
"Almost Saturday Night"
"Too Many Teardrops"
"Last Night I Dreamt That Somebody Loved Me"
"They Don't Know"
"Everybody's Talkin'"
"What Goes On"
"There Is A Light That Never Goes Out"
Halloween Edition
"Porpoise Song"
"Prairie Rose"
"Come On Eileen"
"Walking On Thin Ice"
Jason Falkner Edition
"True Love Will Find You In The End"
"This Will Be Our Year"
"You're My Favorite Waste of Time"
"Nightime/Thirteen"
"The End Of The World"
"(Don't Go Back To)Rockville"
"God Only Knows"
"And Your Bird Can Sing"
"So Sad About Us"
"Everywhere"
"Walking The Cow"

Will U2 Really Walk Away, Walk Away?

I haven't listened to much Bono has had to say for more than two decades, but he seems to have something important to say now. When referring to their future, the U2 frontman told Rolling Stone, "we'd be very pleased to end on 'No Line on the Horizon.'" Really? Is Team U2, the marketing machine masquerading as a band, ready to pull an R.E.M.? I could almost... almost see them staying out of the studio. Hey, if it's good enough for the Stones. Then again, without a pipeline of new tunes, there will be no U2 iPods or other tie-ins. Let's be honest. Could Bono & Co. ever give up the bloated, soulless arena-rock shows that bring in hundreds of dollars a ticket? No, I'm thinking we're stuck with these blokes. This mini "are we still relevant?" rampage of Bono's has to be part of some sinister plan to separate the lemmings from their wallets.

Still don't believe me? Then forget all of that and simply ask yourself, could Bono actually be "very pleased" to end his career with an album like 'No Line on the Horizon?' U2 fans, you have nothing to worry about. Here's one to remind you of better days.



Oct. 28 Update: Now Bono says the only way U2 survives and stays relevant is with a string of hit singles. What is this, 1986? Bono, in case you haven't noticed, the pop charts are about as relevant as the Grammys. Just make a good record like you and the fellas did in days of yore.

Keeping It Peel

As the boards of London's Evening Standard read seven years ago, today was "the day the music died." On Oct. 25, 2004, we lost legendary BBC Radio 1 DJ John Peel at the less-than-ripe age of 65. Since then, many in and out of the music world have chosen to mark this day with a celebration of his life and work. Many on this side of the pond know him only from our favorite "Peel Sessions." During his 37 years at the station, more than 2,000 artists participated in 4,000-plus Peel recordings. Peel would (usually) record four tracks from the band and mix it the same day. Most of the bands I liked would sound louder, rougher and faster than they did on my albums, and I always imagined everyone in the room, including Peel, with big smiles on their faces.

I'm an American that lived abroad for a couple of years nearly two decades ago. In an age before the popularity of the Internet and in a place with very little Western influence, my only English-language connection was the BBC World Service on my tiny shortwave radio. Needless to say, I was pleasantly surprised when I stumbled upon Peel's show one day. I knew all about him, but I don't think I had ever actually heard him before. He not only introduced me to a bevy of new bands but, more importantly, his warm delivery made me feel like I had a friend during a period when I felt pretty isolated from the rest of the world.

Webbie over at Football and Music has organized Keeping It Peel, a chance for bloggers and social media users to remember the late great Peel, and I'm proud to be a part of it. For my "Peel Sessions" selections, I'm going with an old favorite and my latest acquisition.

For at least the second time (the first being in 1977), XTC had an appearance on Peel's show. It was broadcast on Oct. 15, 1979. It can be found on the out-of-print 'Drums and Wireless'. Incidentally, I bought this one in 1994 at Import Yamachiku in Kanazawa, Japan, during the very same spell I was a regular listener of Peel's show. Yes, when it comes to record purchases, I'm a savant. As for my second selection, a couple of weeks ago I finally picked up the deluxe edition of one of my all-time favorite albums. The 22-track bonus disc of The Housemartins' 'London 0 Hull 4' was completely worth the $30 I shelled out for it. Enjoy two songs from John Peel's program, circa June 4, 1986.

XTC - Opening Speech (mp3) (Impersonation by Andy Partridge)
XTC - Real by Reel (mp3)
XTC - Ten Feet Tall (mp3)
XTC - Roads Girdle the Globe (mp3)

The Housemartins - Happy Hour (mp3)
The Housemartins - Get Up Off Our Knees (mp3)

As the Tape Turns

When it comes to format, obviously, I live and die by the vinyl album, but I do have a soft spot for the cassette, too. I estimate about half of my music purchases from 1982 until I started buying CDs in 1988 were tapes, and there weren't many days during my teen years that I wasn't hard at work on the next ultimate mix tape. I have a Volkswagen Jetta Wagon with a CD player and tape deck, and the tape deck still gets quite a bit of use. In fact, I just listened to fIREHOSE's 'fROM OHIO' on cassette during a trip to the grocery store this week.

I have noticed a growing interest in the format. From Rob Sheffield's lovely book 'Love Is a Mix Tape' to Joyful Noise reissuing Dinosaur Jr.'s 'Bug' on tape, the cassette is making a mini comeback. You can even get a box set of 10 of Montreal records on tape. Since the records included in the box are from the years 1997 to 2010, I can't help but wonder if any these titles were ever released this way, but I digress.

All of this tape talk is the long way to me recommending a "reel" fun article I read today in the Wall Street Journal on the mini cassette revolution. I found it particularly interesting that there is an Oakland-based label called Sanity Muffin that only distributes cassettes. Feeling nostalgic?

Download New Song From the dB's

The dB's continue to take their sweet time with a comeback album, their first since 1987, but at least a few songs have trickled out in 2011. As you may recall, they released a 7" in conjunction with Record Store Day, and the A-side, "Picture Sleeve," was No. 2 on my list of the best songs released during the first half of the year. All we knew at that point was that the band planned to release a new album sometime in 2012. Now we know it will have 12 tracks and be called 'Falling Off the Sky.' There is still no release date, cover art or tracklist, but now we know it's being produced by the band with help from Scott Litt and jangle-pop god Mitch Easter. We also know there will be a tour. The band released another song this week, a free one for download to boot, and you can get it below. Enjoy "Revolution of the Mind." Yesterday I wrote about my apathy with the reunion of the Stone Roses. Hearing Chris Stamey and Peter Holsapple together again takes me to the other end of the spectrum.